Strauss Foundation

The Strauss Foundation (EIN 23-6219939, Saint Louis, MO) is a testamentary trust established in 1953 and administered exclusively by Wells Fargo Bank N.A. as sole trustee — a structure that fundamentally shapes how it operates. There is no professional program staff, no public request-for-proposals cycle, and no online application portal. Grant decisions are made by an institutional trustee operating under the terms of a private trust instrument, not by family members or an active board of directors.

With $33.8 million in assets and approximately $1.7–2.1 million in annual grants paid, this is a mid-tier endowed trust that has operated at consistent scale for over a decade. Assets have been remarkably stable — every year from 2011 through 2024 falls between $32.06M and $33.97M — signaling conservative investment management and a perpetuity-oriented endowment rather than a drawdown strategy. The foundation receives no external contributions; it is entirely self-sustaining on investment returns.

A review of 540 documented grants reveals four interlocking pillars: performing arts institutions (Metropolitan Opera, LA Philharmonic, Asia Society), health and medical organizations concentrated in South Florida and Philadelphia (Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation, Cancer Support Community of Philadelphia, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Children's Burn Foundation), Jewish community organizations spanning multiple regions (Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters, Ruth and Norman Rales Jewish Family Services, Temple Israel Westport, Lehrman Community Day School), and international affairs and policy organizations (Aspen Strategy Center at $138,550 cumulative, One Voice at $92,000, Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice at $57,000).

The geographic fingerprint — California (266 grants), New York (47), Florida (36), DC (31), Pennsylvania (29), Maine (19) — strongly suggests a founding family with cross-country ties, perhaps with roots in the Philadelphia region (contact listed as '% Fidelity Phila Trust Co Ttee' in earlier records) and strong connections to South Florida and Los Angeles.

For first-time applicants, the critical insight is that this is a relationship-first, warm-introduction-required foundation. Organizations must identify the relevant contact within Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services and demonstrate clear alignment with categories that have documented grant history. Cold outreach via a generic foundation email is unlikely to succeed. The better path is identifying whether your organization shares geography, cause area, and reputational peers with current grantees — and then building toward a trustee introduction through those shared networks.

The Strauss Foundation's grant data, drawn from multiple IRS 990-PF filing years, reveals wide-range giving with a strong bias toward long-term relationships with established institutions. Per Instrumentl's aggregated 990 data, individual grant amounts range from $200 to $175,000. Among the 540 grants captured in the Granted database, the average award is $9,817 — but this mean is pulled down by a large tail of smaller grants. The top 50 grantees show cumulative multi-year totals between $25,000 and $500,000, reflecting sustained multi-year giving rather than one-time awards.

Annual grants paid have been consistent: $1,679,450 (FY2023), $1,810,850 (FY2022), $2,092,500 (FY2021), $1,799,900 (FY2020), $1,786,450 (FY2019), and $2,051,645 (FY2015). The 2021 peak of $2.09M in grants paid is the highest in the observed record, coinciding with exceptional investment returns of $4.12M that year. The distribution rate runs consistently 5–6% of assets — standard for an endowed private foundation.

By cause area (estimated share based on top grantee analysis): - Arts and culture: ~22% — led by Metropolitan Opera ($500K cumulative, largest single grantee), LA Philharmonic ($33.5K), Asia Society ($35K), Deertrees Theatre ($25K), Palm Beach Symphony ($25K) - Health and medical research: ~21% — Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation ($316K), Cancer Support Community ($89K), Prostate Cancer Foundation ($100K), Children's Burn Foundation ($51.5K), Heart Foundation ($45K) - Education (higher ed and private K-12): ~18% — Florida Atlantic University Foundation ($445K cumulative, second-largest grantee), UCLA Foundation ($94.5K), Lehrman Community Day School ($80K), Jack Barrack Hebrew Academy ($60K), Campbell Hall Episcopal ($50K), Baldwin School ($45K), Taft School ($40K) - Jewish community organizations: ~14% — Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters ($106K), Ruth and Norman Rales Jewish Family Services ($73K), Temple Israel Westport ($90K), Congregation Bet Ha'Am ($34K) - International affairs and policy: ~10% — Aspen Strategy Center ($138.5K), One Voice ($92K), RFK Center for Justice ($57K) - Social services and human welfare: ~9% — Go Campaign ($167.75K), Savage Sisters Recovery ($60K), Child Advocacy Center of Montgomery County ($65K), Canine Companions for Independence ($65K) - Other (animal welfare, environment, sports): ~6%

All 540 captured grants carry the single purpose designation 'GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT.' There is no evidence of project grants, capital campaign support, or restricted programmatic gifts in the foundation's history.

The following table compares the Strauss Foundation against four peer foundations of comparable size, giving level, and philanthropic character. Peer financial data is approximate, drawn from public IRS Form 990-PF filings; verify current figures directly with each foundation.

The Strauss Foundation occupies a mid-tier niche among discretionary trust-administered foundations, where grant decisions are relationship-driven and geographic concentration is high. Compared to the Jerome Foundation (which runs competitive open grant cycles for emerging artists) or the Samuel S. Fels Fund (which publishes RFPs for Philadelphia nonprofits), the Strauss Foundation offers no formal public entry point. Its invitation-only structure most closely resembles the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation model — both support established arts institutions, Jewish community organizations, and health causes without soliciting unsolicited proposals.

Organizations that fit the Strauss profile should simultaneously pursue the Samuel S. Fels Fund (if Philadelphia-based) and the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation (if New York-based arts or Jewish community focused), as grantee rosters among these peer funders overlap meaningfully.

No press releases, leadership announcements, or public program updates for the Strauss Foundation (EIN 23-6219939) were identified through web research conducted in June 2026. This silence is characteristic of bank-administered testamentary trusts: there are no program officers issuing public statements, no board members giving media interviews, and no annual reports published for external audiences.

The most meaningful recent activity signal comes from IRS 990-PF filings. FY2023 data shows grants paid of $1,679,450 against net investment income of $2,103,682 — indicating the endowment's investment returns comfortably covered all grant distributions that year. Total assets of $33,177,439 are essentially flat versus FY2022 ($32,894,430) and FY2021 ($33,974,447), confirming the trust has navigated recent market volatility without material asset erosion.

Wells Fargo Bank N.A. has served as sole trustee since at least 2011, when the earliest available 990-PF data in our records begins. Trustee compensation was $199,177 in FY2023, down from $230,029 in FY2021 — variations that appear to track administrative workload rather than any structural change. No trustee transition appears to have occurred in the observable record.

The 2021 fiscal year (grants paid: $2,092,500; net investment income: $4,117,613) stands out as the foundation's most active giving year in the observed period, coinciding with post-pandemic market recovery. Giving has since moderated to historical norms. As of 2024, Instrumentl data confirms 182 grants were made totaling approximately $1.78M, slightly up from 164 grants and $1.68M paid in 2023.

Because the Strauss Foundation is designated 'preselected only' in grant databases and carries no published application instructions or portal, standard cold-apply strategies will not work. Grant seekers must pursue a relationship-first pathway through four concrete channels.

1. Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services — the only official access point. The trust is reachable via Wells Fargo's grant administration line at 1-888-235-4351 or grantadministration@wellsfargo.com. When contacting, identify the trust specifically as the 'Strauss Foundation, EIN 23-6219939, Saint Louis, MO' — Wells Fargo administers many trusts and this specificity is essential. Ask whether the trust is accepting new inquiries, what materials they require, and what the current review timeline looks like. Do not assume that the Wells Fargo corporate giving program and Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services are the same thing — they are not.

2. Alignment language that works. This trust's 70-year grant record shows deep, recurring commitments to arts and cultural institutions, Jewish community services, private educational institutions, and medical/health organizations. Use language that speaks to organizational stability ('founded in X, continuously serving Y community'), institutional credibility ('IRS 501(c)(3) since X, annual budget of $Y'), and multi-year track record. Avoid startup framing, impact metrics, or systems-change language — this funder supports established organizations, not emerging ones.

3. Geographic anchoring. California and South Florida have the strongest representation among grantees. If your organization is based in or primarily serves these regions, lead with that geographic identity. Boca Raton/Palm Beach County nonprofits in particular should reference proximity to Florida Atlantic University Foundation, Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation, and St. Andrews School of Boca Raton as community anchors.

4. General operating framing — no exceptions. Present your request exclusively as general operating support for your overall mission. Do not propose a project, restrict the use of funds, or attach a specific program deliverable. Every grant in this trust's documented history is for general operating purposes.

5. Common mistakes to avoid: Emailing generic 'grants@' addresses; submitting formal proposals without prior Wells Fargo contact; proposing capital campaigns; citing project-specific outcomes rather than organizational mission; or assuming the straussfoundation.org website represents this foundation (it does not — that domain belongs to a California scholarship program).